Forgiveness

"The proof par excellence of the Christian who has experienced God's unbearable forgiveness and infinite patience is that he/she is able to be forgiving and patient with others."

Brennan Manning, "Reflections for Ragamuffins"

Think about the last time you sat, hat in hand, and prayed for God's forgiveness. And think about how relieved you were when a sense of peace flowed through you and you just knew...it was alright. Now, think about extending forgiveness to another and, possibly, giving them that sense of peace. Jesus was so vivid in his lessons about forgiveness. The parable of the landowner forgiving the servant and the servant going out and shaking down the person who owed him money is crystal clear. If you are going to come and ask for forgiveness, you must be willing to also forgive. Is there someone who needs forgiveness in your world today? Is there someone you need to apologize to and ask their forgiveness? Love, heidi

Thanks be to God!

"Not until you thank God with all your heart do you step out of yourself and become united with God's will."

Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen, "This is the Day the Lord Has Made"

I read and re-read this several times this morning. It is stunning in its simplicity, and oh, so true! But it's hard to thank God when things seems upside down! And what does thanking God have to do with God's will anyway? Fr. Wilfrid goes on to explain that thanking and praising God puts us in harmony with God and then what we ask is already in harmony with God's will. So, we pray for what God wants for us already. Interesting! Today, this final Monday of August, let's thank and praise God for whatever happens. It may not all go according to our agenda, but it may be what we need to learn...and may be what we need to grow. Pray for all those starting a new school year today, too! Love, heidi

Our comings and goings

"May God in heaven protect you on the way and bring you back to me safe and sound; and may his angel accompany you for safety."

Tobit 5:17

This late-August time of year brings to mind many comings and goings in our lives. First it was us, going off to college that first time, or taking that job away from home. Even after all these many years, I can still go deep and find some of those feelings of anticipation and excitement. Later, it is our kids who leave home and we are the ones standing at the curb waving good-bye. Good grief! Where did those eighteen years go? Our lives are filled with comings and goings and they can sometimes be hard to navigate. But, whether we are the "Go-ers" or the "Stay-Behinders," we can rest assured our God is with us. I love this reading from Tobit, when Tobit is sending his son, Tobiah, off to find a wife. He says this blessing over the boy, completely unaware that the angel Raphael is Tobiah's traveling companion. If we parents could only arrange that each time our kids leave the house! Tobit's wife is crying, though, and says, "Why have you decided to send my child away? Is he not the staff to which we cling, ever there with us in all that we do?" This is not the time to cling to our children and expect them to stay with us in all that we do. It is a time for change and setting free. It is a time for driving off to new adventures. Today, as our lives continue to change and grow, let's give this blessing to those we love, whether they are going or already gone..."May God in heaven protect you on your way..." love, heidi

Serenity. Now!

"You can't conquer the negative by constantly focusing on it; it can only be done by developing what is positive."

Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen, "The is the Day the Lord Has Made"

Wow, if this wasn't written for me today nothing ever was! I get so frustrated and stirred up by things I cannot change, I can really work myself into a stew. And me, wallowing in that, does absolutely no good whatsoever! The better approach would probably be to calm down, take a step back and become more prayerful (and less vocal!) about things that get me riled. The world will continue to spin around and, somehow, things will all shake out in the end. If you find yourself getting worked up over something you cannot change, let's all take a deep breath and heed Fr. Wilfrid today. The Serenity Prayer comes to mind:

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Amen!

Who is saved?

"'Who then can be saved?' Jesus looked at them and said, 'For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.'"

Matthew 19:25-26

I have read this reading many times, and yet, today something hit me in the reading. It seems as though Jesus was telling the disciples, and all of us, that it isn't up to us to decide who is "saved." I have had that question asked of me and, depending on my answer, the questioner would decide if I was going to heaven or not. But Jesus is saying here that those judgments are impossible for human beings to make. Jesus is saying, "It is not up to you to decide who is saved and who is not. God will sort it all out and with God, all things are possible." When Jesus gave his disciples the recipe for living life in Him, he said to feed the poor, clothe the naked, visit the prisoners, and so forth. Jesus even told them specifically NOT to judge each other. And he seems to be emphasizing that point today. God's mercy and love are so far beyond our understanding and I think we may be pretty surprised who we meet in heaven. Lucky for us, human beings aren't making those decisions! Love, heidi

Deep peace...

"God dwells within you, and God is closer to you than you are to yourself."

Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen, "The is the Day the Lord Has Made"

This is so true and it really got me thinking. What do we do with this? Can we tap into this vast God-energy within us? How will that change look? When we think back on difficult times, we may wonder, "How did I get through that time?" And here is our answer. We do tap into that energy, that grace! We make the tough decisions and do the hard stuff because we are fortified from deep within. We have a great reservoir of God's peace and Presence deep inside. When Sr. Joyce Rupp signed my book earlier this summer at the conference in Chicago, she signed, "Deep peace..." Deep peace? But I think I'm getting it now. Now, we just need to sit still long enough to drop a line into that deep peace river...Blessings on your Monday! Love, heidi